The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-08-13

| his 1aJner lald his hand upon his shoulder.
Leave him to God, Dick; don't make our
burden harder than we can bear. Let US
have our boy for the few years yet left to
| u.s."
Remember SUSIE" sobbed the mother.
| The young man conquered his emotion,
kissed his mother and shook his fathers
hand-the Anglo-Saxon caress between
males. Women kiss; men shake hands.
II will do nothing rash; nothing to bring
you additional worry; but if meet him he
will have to keep his temper. Come, let us
try your biscuits, Mimi, and forget for the
moment"
The form of meal was gone through
with, but the talk drifted into the only sub
| ject that any one could think about.
'Dick, you haven't said word about
your marriage 1t is two weeks from to-
day. We will have no home for Susie to
come to-"
| Dick smiled for his mothers benefit and
answered brightly: ''Never mind that,
Mimi 1t will have to be postponed for
little while. Don't worry about that
'But, Dick, it may make a great differ
ence to SUSIE" said his father. "You will
no longer have a snug farm at your back,
and you may have to wait year or two be-
fore you can get forehanded enough to
marry viii Susie be willing to wait and
take the chances when she can have her
cousin WILL who is rich!
'Susie is as true as steel, dad. Will
| Hartshorn can not take her from me-" said
Dick laughing lightly. 1--WE may not be
| able to marry for year or two, but we are
both young and life is before US. Don't
fret on our account. 1 must go over and
tell herr
II not HVbap hn b,1fif
was the first time in many months that
both his parents had been found up at that
hour. Traces of tears on their cheeks
showed that the subject of conversation
had not been changed.
'Susie will wait" he replied to his moth
er's unspoken question, "until have made
home for US three and it has grown big
enough for her to enter. l say what she
said. She won't marry me till have. Our
MARRIAGES. postponed for year. She will
work in the rubber factory and help me-
Her uncle has been appointed manager and
was out to see her yesterday to see if he
could get her as his chief clerk. He wants
some one who understands bookkeeping,
short 'hand and telegraphy, and offered her
twelve dollars per week. She refused, of
course, but she has written tonight &C
cepting it. You see, dad, she didn't waste
her time, as you thought in learning those
accomplishments last year Her invest
ment of Sl20 will come back many fold"
His mother laid her hand upon his arm.
"Susie says that we can get the Wilson's
house at the bridge. It's quite as comfort
able as this, and we will soon forget all
about this trouble. You are only fretting
for US, and Susie says you must not and
shall not Susie's word is law to mother
and me; and, father, will you not do what
we three want you tor'
"Dlck," said his father, with deep feel
ing, Il should have named you Benjamin
Susie will make a good wife. take back
all l said about her spending money She
was wiser than l. but l don't think it was
woman's work"
Even her spending four dollars for can
celled postage stamps!" asked Dick, mis-
chieviously
"Well," said his father, with smile and
a shake of the head, ''that was a vanity.
Twenty-Five cents for yard of ribbon
can understand, but % cents for an old
one-cent postage stamp which l bought
new only few years ago for cent can
not understand. l think it would be more
natural for pretty girl to spend her
money for ribbons than for little pieces of
soiled paper"
"She says that her collection, which cost
her less than $50, can be sold any dav to
dealer for S35, and that he will sell it again
for 500. The stamps she paid % cents
each for are now sold for SIPS and $50.
She intends to sell them all to have a nest
egg to start with
81 don't want better girl than Susie for
a daughter. / always said that, Dick.
That there stamp business was the only
vanity | ever knew in her, but she has
right to some vanity. She has the Lock
wood grit and truth. Let US ask God to
bless her"
At noon the next day Mrs. Ferris asked
Dick to give her an hours help in the gar.
ret, as she wished to go over the accumu-
lated rubbish of century to see what
would be worth moving.
'What is in this old hair trunk, mother,n
asked Dick, as he sorted out the relics of
five generations.
THAT was your Aunt Seliny's. It's full
of letters and papers. All her husbands
love-letters are there, for she saved every
one that was ever writ to her. She saved
all the letters that he ever received, and
he did big business till he failed SeliRy
was little queer He was a great scholar,
was Jack. He went to college and was
professor WUeu ne COuTUeu pellny. his
letters read like a book, and Seliny was
very proud of them"
Dick open the moth-eaten, cowhide-cov-
cred little trunk in its time as much a
source Of pride as any genuine alligator
skin one is now to its possessor. There on
top, as if put in last, was a bundle of let
tiers, tied with a faded ribbon. Dick took
out one with some curiosity. 1t was writ
ten before envelopes were in common use,
and the address was on the middle fold of
the letter itself, the edges of which Tad
been turned into one another and sealed.
Smother, may come up2" called clear,
sweet voice from the stairway, but without
giving time for a reply the speaker ap-
peared aud was clasped in Mrs. Ferris
arms. She seeped to bring the sunshine
which that instant came pouring through
the high side window, falling full upon the
little trunk and covering it with golden
glory.
80 Susie. SusieI" was all Mrs. Ferris
could say. as she held her tightly. For a
moment Susie talked for both. She had
come for that feminine draught Of Lethe,
known as "a good cry"
Tears and talk and laughterl Laughter
and talk and tears! Hysteria looked in at
the window.
Dick had patience But patience had a